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King’s Daughters Medical Center announced today it has received provisional accreditation of its cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) program from the Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE).

KDMC is the only hospital in Kentucky, Ohio or West Virginia to achieve this distinction and one of fewer than 20 facilities nationwide to have demonstrated clinical practices that satisfy the rigorous ACE requirements.

ACE is an independent physician organization that has created a certification program so that patients know the accredited facility meets the highest quality standards for cardiovascular and endovascular care. ACE accreditation is only awarded to hospitals with cardiac programs that have the organizational structure, internal processes, patient safety practices and clinical outcomes that meets or exceeds the standards set by cardiac experts.

King’s Daughters wanted an independent review of our program because our patients need to know that our program and hospital is committed to quality healthcare, said Kristie Whitlatch, President and CEO of King’s Daughters Health System.

“We believe this process has strengthened our cardiac program,” she said, adding “our team works hard and outside experts verify that this hard work results in an excellent program and outstanding clinical performance.”

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty, is a therapeutic procedure used to treat narrowed heart arteries affected by atherosclerosis. The narrowed segments rob the heart muscle of oxygen and result from the build up of cholesterol-laden plaque. PCI is performed by interventional cardiologists.

“Our cardiologists are rigorous in their use of evidence-based medicine,” said KDMC cardiologist Terence Ross, M.D. “We follow national standards to deliver the most effective, proven treatments to each and every patient.”

The ACE accreditation comes on the heels of numerous heart program awards and recognitions achieved in 2013, including:

The Joint Commission Top Performer in Heart Attack care and treatment of Heart Failure. (2013).

Three-year accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with PCI from the Society for Cardiovascular Patient Care. (2004-2016)